New Griswold field was community effort

GRISWOLD — A $100,000 state grant will allow the Sheldon Road Committee in Griswold to complete the park project it started in 2007.

Since the committee was formed, the work of buidling a new youth sports field has been done entirely by volunteers and in-kind donations from local businesses.

The new Small Town Economic Assistance Program funding from the state will allow the committee to finish what it started and create playing fields to accommodate the various sports clubs in town.

John Faulise, a parent and committee member, said the park has been a long time coming, and the tough economic times didn’t help.

Along the way, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection gave the town the piece of land on which the field itself was created, along with a $50,000 grant. There was another $75,000 grant early on, also from the state, but it all began with volunteers and donations from local businesses.

“We started the whole process without any funding,” said Kevin Skulczyck, who sits on the Sheldon Road Committee. “There was an amazing amount of in-kind work.”

American Sand and Gravel, in Griswold, for example, did the site work, donating some materials and removing others.

What was once just a vacant field now has a concession stand, a walking path and a paved parking area.

“This $100,000 is going to finish up all the little projects,” Skulczyck said.

Among the projects that will bring the park to fruition are a sprinkler system, fencing and increased parking space that will eventually surround the park that and accommodate 100 cars. The commmittee also needs to level the playing fields.

Director of Parks and Recreation Ryan Aubin wrote the latest grant for the funding, and Griswold Selectman Steve Mikutel pushed it along.

Although the town has yet to receive the money, how to spend it will be in the hands of the same committee members who have stuck with the project from the beginning.

“These are the same dedicated parents that have been here since ’07,” Aubin said. “It shows you the great thing about Griswold — that we have dedicated parents. It’s parents who want to see their kids have a place to play.”

Faulise said it’s been challenging over the years accommodating all of the town’s youth sports.

“There are hundreds and hundreds of kids in these programs,” Faulise said, including his own, who once played youth football in town.

Like Faulise, there are parents on the committee whose children have outgrown the school system, but that hasn’t stopped anyone from helping out.

“I started in the beginning and I want to see it through to completion,” Faulise said.

The park is expected to be complete by spring.

Skulczyck said it was one of the town’s greatest efforts.

“It wasn’t one set of hands that did it ... it’s really been a nice community project,” Skulczyck said.